CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Hunter Knighton once went a week without sleeping, afraid to close his eyes because the nightmares were inevitable. Panic attacks were common. Memories were hazy. Breathing was a struggle.
The dark, scary moments are still in the recesses of his mind.
But he's about to take another step toward escaping them for good.
A year and a half removed from nearly dying on the Miami practice field because of heatstroke, Knighton returns to that same field Thursday for the start of Hurricanes' training camp. The offensive lineman — after undergoing intense rehabilitation on both the physical and psychological fronts — has been cleared for a full-fledged return to the team, something that became official just days ago after successfully completing one last round of tests.